There are many books on climate change about so I asked: what is different about this one? It was first published in 2005, and reprinted in 2007, but with such a fast-developing field, it obviously lacks reference to the most recent data and conclusions such as those of the latest Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Changes report. Nevertheless, it covers many major generic matters in a reasonably logical progression, leaving the reader with a balanced knowledge-base. From why climate change matters, historical evidence and future projections, it goes on to address the big issues of uncertainty and why any action should be taken. The evidence is then addressed in the three classical approaches of impacts, adaptation and mitigation. The final chapters are socio-political and address how the evidence interfaces with the mechanisms for actions to be taken. Although illustrated with some figures, tables and boxes, the presentation is not particularly attractive and does not lend itself to dipping into individual sections out of context. However, as an objective, authoritative text with broad coverage, this book represents a valuable contribution to the literature.